Reality Is Sometimes Overrated
by xx.Bel.xx
Summary: When your reality is that of what most people would call a fantasy, where can you go to get away from it all?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Reality Is Sometimes Overrated

**Rating: **Mature

**Pairing: **Draco x Hermione

**Summary: **When your reality is that of what most people would call a fantasy, where can you go to get away from it all?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter

**Chap 1 ~ Welcome Home**

Dark, mysterious, dangerous and down right scary were the only words that could describe this place. It was forbidden hence the name given to it yet he still walked through the threshold that stood between that of the light and the darkness that consumed this place.

So as he walked into the Forbidden Forest he let out a sigh of relief he hadn't known he had been holding in for Merlin knows how long. The war was over that was something that everyone knew yet what everyone didn't know was that it wasn't yet over for him.

There was still a war raging but unlike the war that had almost destroyed the wizarding world this war was raging within him, trying to consume his very soul. Every moment he was forced to walk the halls of Hogwarts, forced to be witness to the happiness that surrounded him he felt like he was in his own personal hell.

Yet he had come to the conclusion a long time ago that he deserved this pain more than any other human being on the planet. This was his punishment for being born into a family that he wished he never had been. It was his punishment for being alive.

Insomnia was just one of the many health conditions that he was a victim to yet it was the only one that could be called somewhat Muggle. Every other health condition… if you could really even call them that had been derived from magic… black magic.

It was old magic very old and unlike normal magic or even dark magic that if cursed or hexed with usually all hold some type of cure, black magic was different.

Most thought that dark magic and black magic were the same and in the overall view of things they were but there were some things, things that not many knew nor cared about that made the two different enough to each have a separate name.

Dark magic was the type of magic that all magical creators both good and bad knew of whether that be because they practised it or because they shunned it, yet either way everyone knew the term and what it meant.

Yet Black magic was the type of magic that only a very select few people alive today knew about, he could probably count the number of people who still knew about it on one hand. Only the so called _'purest'_ pure blood families knew of such magic and why it was different to dark magic and he was just lucky enough to be born into a family that well indeed was as they said _'pure'_ enough.

The Malfoy family was one of the oldest most ancient families in the Wizarding world no one knew how far back exactly their family tree went but the one tradition that held firm throughout centuries and centuries of generations was that a special book would be passed down to the next heir to the Malfoy fortune, the tradition never stopped… up until now that is.

The book was written in runes and it was left up to each new Malfoy heir to translate it thus learning the secrets that were hidden in each of its pages. Yet he didn't want to know its secrets because he knew that the only thing he could find in the pages of that book was more and more pain.

And even though he knew he deserved that pain he couldn't bring himself to want to cause himself or others for that matter anymore pain that it had already inflicted in the past because the one thing he knew about black magic was this.

Once cast there is no go backs, no repeats, no cures, no anything that can help the person that was cursed. Once that spell has hit its victim it would be with them for their entire life… until it eventually killed them.

And he knew this from personal experience.

He no longer remembered how many curses, hexes or other kinds of spells that had been cast upon him by the hand of his own father while using this book. He had lost count a long long time ago and he had given up an equally long time ago trying to remember. Gone were the days where he could hid behind the iron proof shield he had built around himself keeping not only everyone else locked out but also his true self locked in.

One thing… that was the only thing that he agreed with his father with. One thing. And that was something that Lucius had drilled into his mind when he was only a child. Hurt them before they hurt you.

Letting people in meant letting in the risks of them turning their backs on you and from a very young age he had learnt that that was not a risk he was willing to take. To have your own father turn his back on you, torturing you, cursing you, harming you in any and every way imaginable it was impossible to want to let anyone in.

Yet as much as he wanted to say that iron proof shield even to this day still held strong he would be lieing to himself and everyone around him if he said it did. The cracks were starting to show and it was only the first night of the school year.

It was his seventh year and even through he was reluctant to having anyone know about his… _conditions_… he knew that Professor McGonagall, now Headmistress McGonagall would know about them even without him revealing anything verbally. He had been brought to Hogwarts a week earlier than the rest of the students by special request and being that he knew that he could either go willingly or by force he went for the first option and went willingly.

McGonagall had summoned him to her office that had been once Dumbledore's, she had looked him straight in the eyes and asked him the one question he wished she hadn't.

'_Are your dieing, Mr Malfoy?'_

To lie would be just that a lie and he knew that despite how go he was at it he couldn't lie to this woman who was sitting in the same seat Albus Dumbledore had once sat now what seemed like a lifetime ago and asked him the exact same question that McGonagall had asked just seconds ago.

'_Are you dieing, Mr Malfoy?' _

No one knew how long he had whether it be days, weeks, months or even years. And just like before he had just stared back at the Professor who was staring him in the eyes as if looking into his very soul. And just like before he had simply dropped his gaze immediately finding the floor an extremely interesting place to stare at.

But unlike before the conversation did not end there.

_Flash Back_

"_Mr Malfoy I asked you a question" Professor McGonagall stated raising an eyebrow at him._

_He was sure she already knew the answer to her question yet she wanted him to say it out loud and admit that any moment his life could end._

"_Don't call me that" He muttered still staring at the floor wanting nothing more than to sink into it and disappear forever._

_It had been the first time he had talked in months. His own voice sounded both weak and foreign to him like he was listening to a stranger speak and if he hadn't felt his own lips move he would have thought it was a stranger who had uttered the words._

_It was then he realised that he had heard this voice before, a very long time ago. So long ago it seemed like a dream or a memory he had simply made up to keep himself going insane, it was the only thing that made him remember that he was in fact human._

_It had been the voice he had used to have. It was free of any malice, hatred, anger, fear, rage and every and any other dark emotion that he had once used to shield himself with. But now the voice that was filled with care, trust and love was back and it was like a dagger had been plunged into what remained of his heart._

_Being called 'Mr Malfoy' made him think of his father and when he thought of his father he had a hard time controlling the anger that flared inside him._

"_Ok then is 'Draco' ok?" Professor McGonagall asked slight shock and surprise evident in her voice_

_But instead of answering verbally he simply nodded his head not wanting to hear that voice again._

"_So Draco… are you going to answer my question?" McGonagall asked in a voice that was so… unlike her. Her tone was that of one you would use while talking to a child who had just lost a parent._

_Looking up he met her gaze and instantly regretted it but knew he had to do something to end this conversation hopefully for good._

"_You cant cure what's incurable" He said in the same voice as before _

"_Draco there is always a way" McGonagall argued not wanting to admit defeat _

"_Not this time Professor" Draco said as he stood up turning his back on her and making his way to the door only to stop with is hand held firmly on the handle._

"_Not this time" He repeated just loud enough for her to hear as he let his head drop in defeat before fleeing the room._

_End Flash Back_

He had known she wouldn't give up so easily and that was one of the reasons why he knew she had given him the Head Boy position not only did he now have his own semi private living area, semi private meaning the living space was shared with the Head Girl, but he also knew that it was because if he suffered an attack there was the chance he could get to his room quick enough so no one would be witness to it.

The raw part of the deal and he was more than positive it was another one of McGonagall's plans was that the Head Girl was none other than Hermione Granger. It wasn't that he hated muggleborn as he had made out everyone to believe for that was far from the truth. The reason why he hated the arrangement so much was because it meant that there was more than a fifty fifty chance that he would suffer an attack while in the presence of her meaning more questions than he was willing to answer.

Other facts that he was sure that McGonagall had factored into this arrangement was that Hermione Granger was not only top in her Ancient Runes class (not to mention every other class minus Defence Against The Dark Arts of cause) meaning that if she ever stumbled across the book that was hidden safely in the bottom of his trunk she would be able to read it like it was written out in plain English but that she also had a funny knack for helping all those who are in trouble even if they are your supposed worst enemy one of the many reasons he would feel one hundred percent safe on betting that she will become a Healer once finished this final year of schooling.

It wasn't that he hated her because he also felt safe saying he did not hate the girl but what he did hate was her two best friend and what would happen if she found out about his situation and then went running and spilling everything to those two dunderheads.

Groaning he suddenly realised that he was thinking way to much when he was meant to be enjoying himself. Blocking out all his worries and fears he continued to walk through the forest letting the moon light guide him.

For a place that was described as dark, mysterious, dangerous and down right scary it was strangely peaceful, majestic, calming and quiet beautiful once you peeled back the layers and found what you were looking for.

And that was why he loved it out here. That was why he silently thanked his conditions for giving him insomnia, because without it he would have never found this place back in his first year attending Hogwarts. He would have never found his sanctuary. He would have never found where he felt safe. He would have never found the place he could truly call home.

Welcome Home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Reality Is Sometimes Overrated

**Rating: **Mature

**Pairing: **Draco x Hermione

**Summary: **When your reality is that of what most people would call a fantasy, where can you go to get away from it all? The answer was music.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter

**Chap 2 ~ It's A Part Of You**

When the first rays of sunlight shone over the horizon melting the frost that covered the ground making everything feel new and reborn Draco Malfoy let out another sigh knowing that once again his time here in his sanctuary was once again over for another eighteen hours.

Pushing himself to his feet from where he had taken a seat beneath a tree that sat at the edge of a cliff face that allowed him to look over the entire grounds of Hogwarts he turned and started making his journey back to the castle where he then slipped in and out of the Heads dormitory completely unnoticed by Granger who was still probably asleep at this hour.

By the time that the other students of Hogwarts started to wake up he had already finished breakfast and now had another hour and a half to kill before classes started. Deciding to take the short trip back to the Head's dormitory he found himself now standing in his bedroom doorway looking around the spacious room.

The room was neat, the bed was unused just like everything else in the room. The only thing that looked out of place was the very expensive looking dark wooden acoustic guitar that had swirling silver patterns on the neck. It sat in its guitar holder over near the double doors that lead out onto the large balcony that stretched across joining his and the Head Girls bedrooms.

Staring at that guitar he couldn't help but remember the day he got it. It had been his tenth birthday, he had started guitar lessons when he was five years old. Of cause this being kept a secret from his father. So after five years of lessons and gaining perfection in his music his mother gave him a new guitar one that had a engraving on the back of the body.

_To My Darling Draco_

_Always Remember I Love You _

_And That Your Music Is A Part Of You_

_It Makes You Who You Are _

_And Just Like I Will Be, It Will Always Be With You_

_Love Mum_

It had been weeks since he had played and quiet frankly he missed it. He missed how it felt to run his fingers smoothly over the frets and how it felt to hold a guitar pick between his fingers while he strummed and plucked at the strings.

Slowly walking over to his most prized possession he picked it up and walked through the balcony doors and out into the morning air. Sliding down against the wall he looked out at the morning scenery and a soft smile graced his lips before he placed his guitar carefully in his lap and began to play.

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_**A/N ~ IDK if anyone is actually reading this seeing as I got no reviews from the last chap but if anyone is actually reading this and just hasent revied please do because I'm not sure if I want to continue this seeing as how no one has been reviewing and all :( thanks anyway.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Reality Is Sometimes Overrated

**Rating: **Mature

**Pairing: **Draco x Hermione

**Summary: **When your reality is that of what most people would call a fantasy, where can you go to get away from it all?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter

**Chap 3 ~ What are you up to this time?**

Sunlight streamed through Hermione Grangers windows waking her from her slumber as the light burned down onto her eyelids. When she opened her eyes however she realised she forgot to set her alarm the night before and she was most probably late seeing as how bright the sunlight was.

"Crap" She swore as she threw the covers off her body and started to hurry around her room trying to get through her morning routines as fast as possible.

After getting dressed, brushing her teeth, applying her makeup and doing her hair she stood in front of her full body mirror trying to quickly put her last earring in so she could quickly make it down to breakfast before she had to go to class.

Finishing up with her earring she took a moment to look at herself. She had grown a lot since the last time she stood in this castle, for an education that is.

She hadn't grown much height related, still only reaching 5'4½ but her chocolate brown hair however had grown and now hung down to just above her elbows in loose messy wavy curls, no longer looking like a birds nest. Her once pale skin had finally tanned leaving her with light golden brown skin. Her eyes had narrowed out but still seemed to shimmer like always with their beautiful chocolate brown colour with gold flecks scattered through the brown.

She was skinnier as well, not anorexic or anything but still skinny and it seemed that she had filled out in all other areas now as well seeing as she was eighteen and everything.

Shaking her head she turned from her mirror and was about to walk out of her bedroom when she heard something that hadn't been there before.

She heard… music… and… singing.

"What the?" She whispered as she turned towards where she heard the music was coming from.

The balcony?

Slowly walking over making sure to not make a sound she crouched down and opened the door just enough so she could peek out without being seen.

"_Through forgotten convictions  
__Misplaced affections  
I'm losing the sound of Your voice  
I've been chasing after emptiness  
Trying to tidy up this mess  
I swear I've been down this road before  
I want to get back to where it all began  
When I would long for only You_

She didn't need to see who it was that was sitting outside on the balcony to know who it was because it could only be one person. Draco Malfoy Head Boy was the only other person who could possibly be on that balcony and her suspicions were confirmed when she saw him sitting here back resting against the stone wall as he looked out at the grounds below them.

A guitar sat in his lap as he strummed the cords and words fell from his lips in a voice she didn't think someone like he could posses.

_Like a child I'll take You at Your word  
As these mountains of doubt, they fade away  
I'm longing to trust and love You more  
So for me this is beautiful  
A brand new thought, and a brand new world  
Can I stay here forever here with You?_

_I've lost sight of what first drew me  
To the love that pursued me  
The joy that inspired my song  
The friendship that was all I knew  
The arms that I would fall into  
Seem miles and years from where I am today  
I got to get back to where it all began  
When I would wait for only You_

Quiet frankly his voice was nothing like she had ever heard before because this was not the voice of the Draco Malfoy that she had known for the past seven years, no this was a voice of someone she had yet to meet and she suddenly felt the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her that he probably wouldn't willingly introduce her to this person.

_Can I stay here forever  
Here with you?  
Surrounded by Your mercy  
Clothed in Your truth  
Always, I'll stay  
Always here with You_

So as his singing became softer and softer as he reached the end of his song she couldn't help but ask herself questions that she now wished she didn't have to ask herself.

_Can I be here forever  
Here with You?  
Can I know what it's like  
To deeply love You?  
Always, Lord, let me stay  
Always, here with You"_

Was there more to Draco Malfoy than she first though? Was there more than just the pure blood spoiled brat behind that mask? Was there a different side of Malfoy that he had yet showed anyone? Why all of a sudden was this side coming out? And was she ever going to be able to see this side of him other than when she is spying on his?

But unforchantly she had no answers to any of these questions so all she could do was silently stand and walk away not knowing what else to do.

As the weeks passed Hermione settled back into her daily school routines all the while trying her hardest to ignore those questions that plagued the back of her mind. But that was kind of hard seeing as every morning she heard the same singing that she had the first morning of the start school term, but each morning started with a different song.

She hadn't dared to confront Malfoy about it and decided to just let him keep his little hobby a secret knowing he probably wouldn't be happy she knew about his musical talent.

But it wasn't only his musical ability that she had noticed about him during the past weeks. Living with someone let you see things that the rest of the castle didn't so if he thought she didn't notice him sneaking out of their dormitory around midnight every night and not returning until early hours of the morning than he was defiantly naïve… or maybe he didn't care if she knew? Either one however didn't really matter, what mattered was the fact that she had noticed and his disappearing acts defiantly were not the only things she had noticed.

Over the past few weeks he had managed to not say one nasty or crude thing to her. Not one nasty comment or foul name had come out of his mouth and directed at her.

And that made her feel uncomfortable even though how stupid it sounded. She was used to his selfish cruel ways by now after seven years of it after all and to suddenly wake up one morning and for it to not be there anymore was unsettling.

What had changed in Draco Malfoy to make him no longer well… evil?

He hadn't even said anything nasty to Harry or Ron even though neither realised.

Also his voice had changed, even though she barely ever heard him speak anymore she still knew it had changed because when he did talk no matter if almost every time was only a five or less worded sentence she couldn't help but notice his voice.

It was not the voice of the Draco Malfoy she knew there was no malice, hatred or well any angry emotion in his voice. There wasn't actually any emotion at all in his voice and she remembered that it was only then that she had taken notice of his appearance and actually look at him. And really look at him.

His platinum blonde hair wasn't slicked back like it had been for the seven years of knowing him, it now hung down freely and reminded her of Harry's hair almost exactly with that messy yet handsome long shaggy look.

He was as tall as he had been the year before but it wasn't until not that she realised that he was much more muscular than she had ever seen him. Probably more muscular than any other boy in Hogwarts. Yet despite this his pale skin and the black rings under his eyes gave off a sickly look making her think he could pass out at any moment.

It was a Saturday morning that finally someone else besides her noticed Malfoy's strange behaviour and death walking appearance.

"Come on you two Hagrid's waiting for us!" Harry yelled over his shoulder as he and Ron raced down the schools front steps and down onto the grassy grounds.

Giggling Hermione and Ginny raced after them happy to see them in such high spirits. Hagrid had invited them down to his hut for lunch seeing as they hadn't had much time to see him between classes and homework.

"Wait up you two!" Ginny yelled after the boys as they ran after them but having no hope in catching the two boys who were both much taller than them.

When they finally made it down to Hagrid's Hut he was already standing outside waiting for them a huge smile plastered on his half-giant face.

"Hey Kiddies" He laughed as they all came to a stop

"Come on lets eat before the food gets cold!" Hermione suggested as both girls held up two full picnic baskets with food from the kitchens.

As the boys set up a large wooden table over in Hagrid's Garden the girls started to unpack the food and before they knew it they were all sitting around the table laughing and talking like old times.

"I've missed this" Hermione sighed as she rested her head in her hand with her elbow resting against the wooden table

"I think we all have" Harry agreed as they all slipped into a comfortable silence listening to the wind rustle through the trees that surrounded the edge of Hagrid's hut

But the silence was however broken by Fang's sudden barking as he ran towards edge of the Forbidden Forest a little way away from Hagrid's hut.

"Where's he going?" Ron asked as they watched the dog run away

"It's right he'll be back" Hagrid dismissed it like it was something that happened often and what they saw happen next made them realise that it did happen often.

None other than Draco Malfoy came walking out of the forest dressed in a pair of frayed jeans and a grey short sleeve shirt that fit him like a second skin. His boots were covered in mud which probably meant that he had been deep into the forest.

When Fang finally reached Malfoy he started to bounce happily around him barking and wagging his tail. Something that this dog usually did NOT do! Seeing as Fang was a very lazy dog.

Bending down they all watched and listened as Malfoy patted him on the head smiling at the dog who was obviously happy to see him.

"Hey Fang" Malfoy said in that voice that did not belong to the Malfoy they knew.

"This is not happening" Ginny whispered as they watched as Fang started to bark louder.

"Yeah yeah mate I know I didn't take you with me this time but I promise I'll take you next time if its alright with Hagrid, ok?" Malfoy said and surprisingly it made Fang stop barking

"Ok" Malfoy chucked shocking them all even more than before

"I gotta go practise Quidditch now Fang but I'll see you later ok" Malfoy said as he patted Fang once more earning the dog to lick his hand before he stood up and waited for Fang to start running back in their direction.

It as only then did Malfoy notice they had been watching the whole time and he simply nodded his head in acknowledgement before walking away.

"That did not just happen" Ron said his eyes wide and his mouth slightly hanging open in a very unattractive manner.

But Hermione wasn't surprised that it had just happened, sure she hadn't been expecting it but once she added it to the long list of other strange things Malfoy had been doing this term she couldn't help but say she wasn't surprised.

"What was Malfoy doing in the Forbidden Forest Hagrid?" Harry asked raising an eyebrow as they all turned to look at the half giant

"Truthfully I don't know" He shock his head

"Surely you know something I mean you're a teacher shouldn't you do something? Just because he is Head Boy doesn't mean he gets to break rules like the fact that the Forbidden Forest is _Forbidden_" Ron argued back

"All I knows is that McGonagall told all us teachers that he is the only exception to that rule, she isn't given us a reason just telling us that's how it is" Hagrid admitted

"I see he made friends with Fang?" Hermione asked

"Yeah I bumped into him once out in the forest when I was looking for Fang who'd run off on me and when I found him I also found Malfoy who was sitting under a tree, kinder weird really but Fang obviously likes him and if it actually means the dog will do more than sleeping who am I to complain" Hagrid shrugged and explained before they slipped into silence only to be broken again by Harry.

"What are you up to this time Malfoy?" Harry asked no one in particular as he shock his head and watched the blonde boy walk away.

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**_A/N ~ Thankyou to 'angelsinallas' you are my first reviewer and I'm so happy you reviewed! Cause like i was like totally thinking no one liked my story and was considering to stop writing it and that would be a shame seeing as im upta writing chap 10 atm :) Im sick atm and thats what I do when im sick :) WRITE! anyway thankyou again :)_**


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